The present disclosure relates to open cell, polyurethane foam material components having non-petroleum based polyol material and methods for making products including such open cell, polyurethane foam material. The present disclosure relates particularly to open cell, polyurethane foam formulation having a plant oil-based polyol portion and a petrochemical-based polyol portion and to a method for producing foam articles for use in seating applications as cushioning material having improved performance specifications.
It is generally known to provide a foam cushion for the comfort of an occupant of a seat, whether the seat is a piece of furniture, a piece of equipment, or a vehicle, such as an automobile. It is also generally known to formulate the constituent parts of the foam for such a cushion from petroleum oil-based polyurethane material that is reacted with other products to make a relatively soft foam cushion product. Such foam product may be formulated to be relatively soft yet supportive to provide a relatively high comfort level (i.e., support, feel, and isolation to vibration) for an occupant. For many applications there has long persisted an ongoing desire to provide a soft or flexible foam while meeting performance specifications for dampening vibration (isolating) to an occupant. It is also generally known to provide a harder or more firm flexible foam, including a foam having a higher density, in a vehicle seat cushion material to better dampen (isolate) road vibration from the occupant (also known as dynamic comfort). However, such firm foams may provide less “cushion” and comfort (including worse pressure distribution, known as static comfort), particularly over a longer period of time relative to such softer or more flexible foam.
It is known to derive and utilize materials in the foam formulation process from renewable sources such as soybean oils and other plant oils. However, despite such long held knowledge, there remains a lack of commercially viable foam product in seating applications utilizing any meaningful amount of plant-based source material instead of petroleum oil-based material because it has been unknown how to produce foam products that will meet performance specifications and requirements for such seating applications.
Accordingly, there is, and there remains, a significant need to provide a plant oil-based polyurethane foam that can meet the specification requirements for use in the seating applications, particularly for dynamic and static comfort, in various seating applications, including in particular in the automotive industry. Further, it would be advantageous to have a plant oil-based polyurethane foam material capable of meeting and exceeding performance specifications equal or greater than those for existing petroleum oil-based polyurethane foam material used in such seating applications.